If you didn't think Lucas was a bastard before, prepare to change your mind.

(Although I hate pulling any news from AICN)

Just got back from the opening night of the ILM/Skywalker Sound tribute at the American Cinematheque @ the Egyptian Theatre. While it was real cool seeing Lucas in person, there really wasn't a whole lot discussed that would be enlightening to most fans. Much of the Q&A revolved around topics that we have seen or heard in the many commentaries or interviews from the last twenty years. Still, it was pretty damn awesome seeing the man, albeit he's kinda of short in person.

Anyway, about the only major piece of info to come from this night may upset the purists. THERE WILL BE NO ORIGINAL VERSIONS ON DVD!!! Lucas flat out said that we won't see the originals on DVD and I'm guessing any format other than those it already exists, ie laserdisc and video. I have both the originals and specials on laserdisc. Of course, you could get bootlegs but that isn't legal, unless the Emperor makes it legal. This news was met with very little snickering or hissing. Lucas feels the originals weren't complete so the special editions are the versions he intended to make 20 years ago.

Greedo shooting first, indeed.

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow.

perhaps you misread it---he's not releasing the original original trilogy, just the special edition original trilogy.

He should do both. I like parts of the special editions but the original original trilogy is too priceless to just completely 'toss-out' the way he is. Surely he didn't have trade wars and annoying reggae aliens in mind when he was young, niave George, just trying to get his 'space picture' made in the middle of the Tunisian desert. I used to respect Lucas and everything but over the years and especially with the installment of the 'prequels' I've lost nearly all of that. He really does have too much technology at his disposal.

But even if Lucas pulled his head out of his own ass long enough to make a good Episode 3, would it even matter? We've been groomed over the years to think in trilogies when it comes to Star Wars. Even if Episode 3 is good, would it be enough to separate itself from it's shitty origins?

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow.

The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil’s rain we’ll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, ’cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, ’cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put ’em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put ’em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

He's been talking about doing even more "touch ups" on 4-6... adding the creatures from 1-3 so it looks like a more complete universe.

Article from around the time of the Attack of the Clones release:

If George Lucas had a penny for every time someone asked him when Episodes IV, V and VI were coming out on DVD he’d be… well, an even richer man. But, having repeatedly dashed hopes by insisting such a release will have to wait until the entire prequel trilogy is in the bag, Lucas has left fans worldwide clutching their solitary Phantom Menace disc and howling at the unfairness of it all.

Now, while we can’t do anything about the three year delay, we can reveal why the finished products will certainly be worth the agonizing wait. As distressed as the rest of you by the absence of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi on DVD, Empire Online collared Producer Rick McCallum at the Attack of The Clones premiere to find out exactly what’s holding Lucas back.

"Three years is a long time, but that’s how long it takes," he said of the delayed transition. But what, you may ask, is taking up the time exactly? Well, never one to do things half-heartedly, Lucas isn’t happy with a DVD of the original edits, nor, it would seem, of the enhanced Special Editions. Having previously confessed to shooting a number of additional scenes for the original trilogy while filming Episode II and with many more to be lensed during the third prequel’s production, George has made it his mission to complete the story once and for all. And so, we asked, will this spanking new footage make its debut on the DVD releases when they finally arrive? "Absolutely," confided McCallum with a conspiratorial grin.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Release a DVD where you can select original or SE, either in a package like E.T. or a single DVD where by selecting the original it just skips the SE parts and plays the original scenes in place. I still think he should wait for HD-DVD to release them, but hes got to get paid.

So Lucas is gonna add even more stuff to the originals? I don't think I like that. I bought the triologie on VHS and they had all these stupid 3D animations added. It completely threw me off. Why can't he jsut leave them as is. He'll end up messing with them so much that they'll suck.

"The idea had been growing in my brain for some time: TRUE force. All the king's men cannot put it back together again." (Travis Bickle, "Taxi Driver")